SUNY Research Foundation chief demands an ethics hearing

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — The president of the State University of New York Research Foundation wants a public hearing to prove he is innocent of a state ethics charge. John O’Connor said Wednesday he will testify at the hearing he demanded of the state Public Integrity Commission.

The commission has accused O’Connor of continuing a no-show job for the daughter of former Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno, once one of the most powerful officials in Albany. The commission said Susan Bruno did little work and seldom went to the office. Joseph Bruno, now retired, is appealing two federal corruption convictions.

O’Connor’s lawyer, Karl Sleight, said in a Wednesday letter to the commission that the commission has Susan Bruno’s swipe card records and 30,000 e-mails from her that prove she showed up for work. There was no immediate comment from the commission, which often withholds statements on pending cases as a matter of policy.

O’Connor began a voluntary and paid leave of absence on Monday until June 1, using his accrued vacation time.

The state Inspector General’s Office is investigating O’Connor’s claim that the commission’s action against him is baseless.

“We will be seeking maximum transparency and immediate adjudication of these charges, as Mr. O’Connor is confident in the truth,” said Sleight, a former executive director of the state Ethics Commission, a forerunner of the Public Integrity Commission.

The Research Foundation, an arm of SUNY, isn’t accused of wrongdoing. The foundation is cooperating with the commission.